EVANSTON (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - During a hearing on Capitol Hill about antisemitism on college campuses, Northwestern’s president pledged to change the student code of conduct and increase security.
President Michael Schill defended Northwestern’s agreement with pro-Palestinian protesters, telling members of a House committee on Thursday that the university did not give in to student demands in return for clearing the encampment.
“Importantly, I rejected the main student demand for divestment, and will not ever recommend that Northwestern use its resources for political purposes,” Schill said.
About two dozen protesters watched the testimony in the one remaining tent here on Deering Meadow.
Yivgeny, a student with Jewish Voice for Peace, sayid he and others will continue to push for divestment and other changes.
“If all it took was five days of plastic tents to get us complete and total disclosure of direct and indirect investments, imagine what we can do with that people power with six days, 10 days, with 15 days, with a year,” Yivgeny said.
Schill said students were willing to negotiate and reach a compromise that did not include divestment, their main demand. He said agreeing to a space for Muslim students where they could eat and pray, like other faith communities had on campus, was something he supported.
“We had students who were willing to negotiate and gave up their demands,” Schill said. “We said no, nothing that singles out Israel. Let’s think about what will make the university stronger."
Isabelle, a Northwestern junior and member of Jewish Voice for Peace, said Schill’s interest in protecting Jewish students should extend to those opposed to the war in Gaza.
“We would like to see President Schill do more to protect students of all religious identities,” Isabelle said. “We would like to see him do more to protect Jewish students, such as the anti-Zionist students like ourselves, but also the Muslim students of our encampment.”
Associated Press contributed to this report.
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